Whimsical and unlikely yet touching and wonderful

Rating: Null/10 (1 February 2003)

A man, Max, walks into a pawn shop to sell his trumpet. While playing it one last time, the owner puts on a record that sparks memories in Max and is the very reason he has returned to New York. Max tells the story of a boiler worker on board the cruise ship The Virginian who finds a baby left on New Years day 1900. He keeps the boy on board and raises him  naming him `Danny Boon TD Lemon 1900'. When the boilerman is killed, 1900 stays on board and discovers a gift for playing the piano and is famous across the ship. However, Max insists that 1900 has never, in 40 odd years, left the ship and is desperate to convince the demolition crew (about to demolish the ship out at sea) that 1900 must still be on board.
When I sat to watch this film I had no idea what it was about and had never so much as read a review  I just thought I'd give it a go as I had little else to do. I am very glad that I did and would urge anyone else with the chance to see this film to do so. The plot is very unlikely and very slight when it comes to details but it has a real whimsy to it that really keeps things moving alone really well. Add to this the beauty of the music and it really gives the film a nice flow that stops it dragging. The device of having Max tell the story and running the two time lines beside each other also really kept the story moving.
The light mood of the film changes later to slightly more serious drama but by then I was sucked in by the lightness and the change was not too heavy and was all the more moving for the light touch that had gone beforehand. True, it all is a bit (very!) unlikely and some bits of it feel like the bigger idea had come first and the details had been sketched in later, but this is a minor flaw as the film is perfectly pitched (excuse the pun) with a light feel that carries everything else.
From the first meeting of Max and 1900 to the emotional but easily foreseen climax the film is a mix of emotion and whimsy that works very well. Roth is an OK (if not great) actor and only occasionally seems stretched here. For the most part he is good but I do find his squeaky voice annoying the odd time. Vince was excellent in heavy and I was glad to see him again here  his role is strong and he does well. Smaller roles such as Nunn and Williams III are good and everyone in support helps the comic yet emotional tone of the piece. The direction is superb and again sets the mood well. The film suffers once from a poor projection on the ship's hull but other than that sets are great be they the growing city or the ballroom of the ship.
Is this a classic?  no. Is it a light film that effortlessly sucks you into an emotional story?  yes. If you're in the mood for something like this then this is the film for you. The moment I finished watching it I wanted to see it again and go and give the tape to my friends to see, it really is that enjoyable.